


Out of the Rain

by elsewherewolf



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: M/M, birthday gift, bookstore au (heh), schmoopy fluff, very small, with a small side of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-08
Updated: 2014-02-08
Packaged: 2018-01-11 15:55:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1174957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elsewherewolf/pseuds/elsewherewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raleigh comes into Herc's bookstore every day at the same time.  Only today, something's different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of the Rain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mixk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mixk/gifts).



> Hey, this isn't a fill for your prompt (which is still definitely on my to-do list along with the others, because it's lovely), but it's still an AU, it's still Herc/Raleigh, and though it's short and sweet, I hope that you like it. Happy (belated, now) birthday. :)

The bell over the door sounds, and Herc looks up at the clock and smiles when he realizes what time it is. He gets up, ignoring the protest his knee gives, and limps out of his office into the shop. "Mr Becket, good after..." The words tail out, at the look on Raleigh's face. "What's wrong?"

"Didn't I tell you to call me Raleigh? I come here every day, I-" Raleigh looks around the shop, as if checking there's nobody else there, then looks back at Herc, biting his lip. His hair is plastered to his head, and he's shivering and pale. Herc's never seen him looking so lost.

"I'll flip the sign," Herc says, giving Raleigh's shoulder a gentle squeeze as he passes. He hears thunder, and peers out of the window. Driving rain and a black sky, no wonder his knee's playing up.

"You don't have to do that for me," Raleigh says, quietly.

"I don't get many customers this time of night, and yes. I do. Fire's still going, come and get warmed up, I'll make some tea and maybe I can help set the world to rights."

Raleigh looks at him a moment longer, then finally nods, shrugging off his coat as he moves between the shelves towards the back of the shop and the reading nook with its fireplace and old armchairs. Herc joins him several minutes later with some of the hot, spiced tea that he knows Raleigh favours.

"So... something happen?"

Raleigh unfurls slightly from where he's curled into the chair; his shoes and socks are close to the fire and he's not shivering quite so much any more. He stares at the flames while Herc waits, sipping at his tea and worrying.

"My brother. Yancy." Raleigh rubs his eyes, breathes out and turns towards Herc with a faint smile. "This storm, it- It brought it all back. How does it still feel like this, after all these years?"

"I don't think you ever really get over things like that. Not when it's family." Herc swallows, wondering how much more he should say. He knows the bare bones of what happened to Raleigh's brother, and how in some ways it echoes his own story. But Raleigh isn't here for Herc's tragedies, he's here for... Comfort, Herc supposes. 

"I guess not."

"You could wait forever for it to get any easier. One day it might, but when someone you love leaves you, they take a part of you with them. They need something to hold onto as well, don't they?"

"You believe in that? That there's something on the other side of death?"

Herc smiles, shrugs. "Sometimes it hurts less than believing there's nothing."

"You lost someone to the war?"

"Ah." Herc leans to set his cup on the table, rubs at his knee as he sits back again. "It was never a fair fight, was it? I did everything I could to keep him alive, I promised my wife I'd look after him. It just... The odds were against us. It should've been me, but here I am."

"Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't know-"

"I never told you, how could you? But we were talking about you. Your brother."

Raleigh looks as if he wants to say something more, but seems to change his mind. He sinks into the armchair with a sigh, listens to another roll of thunder and watches the flames as they crackle and spit. "It was raining like this when we went out on a patrol together. It was supposed to be a routine run; something we'd done and dealt with before, but... We were attacked out of nowhere; Yancy told me to get out of there and he just... He gave himself up and all I could do was run. He wanted me to survive, and I still-" Raleigh swallows hard, wringing his hands. "I still don't even know why."

"Find your why, and you'll bear the how," Herc says, reaching across the space between them to take one of Raleigh's hands in his own. "And drink the tea, it'll warm your hands up better than I can."

"Nietzsche?" Raleigh asks, with another faint smile. 

"Maybe your brother wanted you to do more than survive, Raleigh. Remind me what you do now?"

"I work in an office."

"And how's that?"

"It's... It's a job."

Herc nods, quietly letting go of Raleigh's hand because he really shouldn't still be holding it. "What else?"

"I come here every day after work, it's the best bookstore in town."

"Obviously," Herc says, grinning. 

"And you keep the place open longer for me, don't you?"

"You noticed that, eh?"

"I did. And I think I'm starting to figure out what Yancy wanted for me. Something I've never done or had. Like how you always keep the fire going for me on the cold days, or know how I like my tea, or which books to save back for me. Am I-"

"You're on the right track, yes," Herc says, his mouth suddenly a little too dry. He thinks about pouring himself more tea, but the way he's feeling right now, it'd probably end up all over him.

" _Oh._ " Raleigh nods, looking over at the fire again. He gets up, and Herc tenses, wondering what he'll do. "Do you wait for me to come in?"

"Every day except-"

"I could come in on the weekends too, if you want me here." Raleigh moves, kneels on the rug at Herc's feet and _god_ , he looks so beautiful, shadows and light and a hope in his eyes that makes Herc open his knees wider to let Raleigh in just a little closer.

"I always want you here," Herc says, reaching to thread his fingers through Raleigh's hair and finding it still damp. 

"Well, if you have an opening, I'd gladly take it," Raleigh says, then groans, his cheeks flushing. "I didn't mean it like... oh, crap-"

"It's okay, Raleigh," Herc tells him, amused. "I know what you meant, and yes. Yes, come and work with me. I can't offer you much, but I think you'd be good for this place."

"And you?"

"I was a soldier, too. Saw the wall come down, and I'd been fighting for years already... My knee's shot, I can be kind of a grumpy arsehole on the days it's bad, and on most of the days it's not, so yeah. I think you'd be good for me, too, if you can take this tired old soul."

"Thank you," Raleigh says, smiling and turning his head under Herc's hand.

"What for?"

"You really need to ask?"

Herc laughs, and is surprised when Raleigh pushes up on the chair's arm with one hand and pulls Herc down to him with the other, strong and sure of himself but still gentle and a little reserved. It's not the kiss he was expecting; it's warm and tastes of rain and chai and gratitude, and he tightens his arm around Raleigh and pulls him up, onto his good knee, and kisses back.

Raleigh settles against him, still pressing lazy kisses to his chin. When he speaks again, it's hushed and sleepy. "I think I'm going to like this new job a whole lot better."


End file.
